Sea Launch

An international consortium, formed in April 1995, that places
commercial satellites in orbit using Zenit
3SL rockets from a converted oil platform in the Pacific Ocean near the
equator – the ideal location for launching into geostationary
orbit. Sea Launch is a joint venture between the Boeing Commercial Space
Company, Energia Rocket & Space Corporation
of Moscow, Kvaerner Maritime of Oslo, and KB Yuzhnoye/PO Yuzhmash of Dnepropetrovsk,
Ukraine. Kvaerner provides the Command Ship, KB Yuzhnoye provides the first
two stages of the launch vehicle, Energia provides the third stage, and
Boeing provides the payload fairing and systems integration.